Conveyer.



llnirrnn drains PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WV. HUNT, OF WEST NEW BRIGHTON, NEW YORK.

converse.

SPEGILJFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,423, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed June 12, 1902. Serial No. 111,278. No model.)

To all 2072,0122, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES VVALLAOE HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing in (Vest New Brighton, borough of Richmond, city of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oonveyers, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

In some systems of conveyers which em ploy buckets on endless chains provision is made for overturning each bucket for the purpose of dumping the load at a required point, such provisions including a gear or gear-segment or its equivalent fixed with each bucket and a rack or its equivalent to cooperate therewith, such rack being supported at a point where each bucket is to be overturned. The impact of the gear against the rack frequently results in the breaking of the teeth of the gear or of the rack as the parts are usually arranged; and it is the object of the present invention to provide means whereby such impact shall be cushioned and the breaking of the parts prevented. To accomplish this result, one of the engaging parts is yieldingly supported. Obviously either of such parts might be so supported; but forconvenience it is preferable to support the rack yieldingly, and in the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is illustrated,the rack is shown as yieldingly supported.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, on the plane indicated by the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 looking toward the left. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in transverse section and partly in elevation, of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

The particular construction of the conveyor is obviously immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned; but in that form of conveyer which is chosen for illustration of the invention the bucketa is represented as supported upon a shaft or trunnions b, which are carried in the links 0. The latter also support the wheels d, which run upon the track 6.

At one end of the bucket (or at each end, if so desired) is secured a gear f, the same be ing preferably fixed to the shaft 1) in a suitable position and cooperating with a rack gear. The rack is so supported that it may yield slightly when it is struck by the gear which travels with ,the bucket. It will be readily understood that various devices may be provided for supporting the rack yieldingly; but in the embodiment of the invention represented in the drawings it is shown as supported upon swinging arms 71, which may be pivoted upon the framework, (indicated at 2'.) A spring 7a is applied to the rack,preferably between one of the swinging arms h and a fixed abutment 1, such spring being stiff enough to hold the rack so as to overturn the bucket as the bucket continues its movement, but yet being adapted to yield slightly when the rack is struck by the gear, so as to cushion the impact and prevent the breaking of the parts. A stop m is preferably provided in the path of one of the swinging arms to limit the movement of the rack by the spring, and such stop may be movable and adapted to be withdrawn by a suitable hand-lever n, so that the rack may be swung downward out of the path of the gear when it is desired that the buckets shall not be overturned.

Various other devices to cushion the impact of the gear against the rack will readily suggest themselves in view of the foregoing,

and it is therefore understood that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement of parts represented in the drawings and described herein.

I claim as my invention 1. In a conveyor, the combination of a traveling, pivoted bucket, a gear carried with said bucket, and a rack mounted in the path of the gear to engage therewith and overturn the bucket, one of said cooperating parts being yieldingly supported in the direction of movement of the gear to cushion the impact of the gear against the rack, substantially as described.

2. In a conveyer, the combination of a traveling, pivoted bucket, a gear fixed to said bucket, and a rack supported in the path of the bucket to cooperate therewith to overturn the bucket, said rack being yieldingly supported in the direction of movement of the gear to cushion the impact of the gear against the rack, substantially as described.

g, which is supported in the path of the 3. In a conveyer, the combination of a traveling, pivoted bucket, a gear fixed to said bucket, a rack to cooperate with said gear to overturn the bucket, swinging arms supporting said rack, and a spring cooperating with one of said arms to cushion the rack against the impact of the gear, substantially as described.

4. In a conveyer, the combination of a traveling, pivoted bucket, a gear fixed to said bucket, a rack supported in the path of the gear to cooperate therewith to overturn the bucket, swinging arms to support said rack, a spring to cushion said rack against the impact of the gear and a movable stop in the path of one of said swinging arms to limit the movement of the rack, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 5th day of June, A. D. 1902.

, CHARLES W. HUNT. In presence of ANTHONY N. J ESBERA, LUoIUs E. VARNEY. 

